


child of light

by eurekaa



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hurt/Comfort, Not Canon Compliant, POV Second Person, Trauma, some steaming self-indulgent bullshit, the result of too much time/money invested in union cross
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-04-24 07:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14350767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eurekaa/pseuds/eurekaa
Summary: You wake up with a Keyblade, questions, and not much else. A big adventure for a small hero.





	1. cyclamen

**Author's Note:**

> hhhhhh god why! why am i doing this.
> 
> chapters are going to be sporadically posted and varying in length for the sake of my sanity. also i have no idea what im doing aaaaahahahaha help

As if coming up from underwater, you were suddenly alert, air cold in your lungs and senses sharp. The shift was jarring, enough so that you didn’t immediately recognize your surroundings—shining mosaic beneath your feet, depicting the five animal idols you’d grown so accustomed to, faces of friends, your own figure sprawled across the edge.

_Crack!_

It had been that sickly brittle noise that had awakened you, splinters appearing in the otherwise flawless depictions, hairline mars that spider-webbed outwards. You didn’t dare breathe, much less move.

And then it was gone, and you were left in starlight.

 

— _eybl_ —

— _ion_ — 

— _Ephe_ —

— _uld_ —

 

_“Fly, my Dandelions.”_


	2. forget-me-not

You hadn’t been asleep, but you hadn’t been quite awake, either. It had been a slow process, registering your breath, closed eyes, open hands. Gradually, each limb came back to you, numbness retreating until you were whole again.

It was snowing.

Harsh wind had goosebumps erupting across your skin, and you instinctually curled in on yourself, teeth chattering. The flurry of white made it hard to determine your location, but you quickly discovered you were not dressed warmly enough for the environment. Shelter first, then you could—

Do what?

 _Not be half-buried in snow_ , the rational part of your brain provided. _Get hustling. Work those knees_.

After quite a ways of stumbling half-blind, shoes soaked through and legs like ice, you realized far too late that you’d just walked off the edge of a steep slope. With nary a sound you tumbled down, rolling and rolling until the ground finally evened out again. Dizzy and looking like you’d gotten a little too excited with a can of whip cream, you surveyed your new surroundings.

Your heart seized.

— _Rain and hearts and lightning_ —

 

Pain lanced up your neck and through your skull; you clutched desperately at your scalp, gripping at the sensations before they slipped through your grasp altogether. Gone. Nothing.

There was an annoying amount of nothing going on in your head.

Still snowing, still cold. With a groan, you rose back up onto your feet, hugging yourself as you trudged forward.

Shapes came into focus around you—sticking out of the ground, metallic and clinking softly in the wind. Weapons?

 _Keyblades_. The word had popped into existence, settling heavy on your tongue. These things were important; and yet they were all laid out here in the elements, rusted and in disrepair. How wasteful.

Your chest was tight, but you chalked it up to the weather.

 _Dark_.

You paused, going absolutely still. There was something behind you. You could hear it—breathy movements, gliding closer. _Swish swish_.

Your hand was abruptly heavy, but you were already swinging straight for the beady-eyed black creature.

A moment of resistance before you’d cut through it, the remains vanishing in a puff of smoke. You exhaled, hefting your Keyblade.

 _Starlight_.

Your gaze flickered upwards to find yourself surrounded.

A little exercise would help warm you up, anyway.

* * *

Battling Heartless seemed to be natural for you. Muscle memory and quiet suggestions saw you through with little difficulty. Starlight was familiar in your hand, yet strange at the same time. Adrenaline still biting at your veins, you kicked off into an awkward jog, wading through the heaps of freezing white hell in what felt like a good direction.

After a short while you decided it was indeed _not_ a good direction. The ground had become erratically uneven, making traversing without spraining an ankle plenty difficult. Rock formations unlike anything you’d ever seen rose up out of nowhere, columns of stone completely sheer around the edges that seemed to scrape the heavens. Worse yet, you could feel the dark growing stronger.

You had to leave, but you were woefully unsure how. If it were as easy as snapping your fingers, calling the secret phrase, opening the door—

Ah.

You focused, aiming directly ahead of you. A beam of light shot out of your Keyblade, unlocking your way out. The portal seemed to wax and wane, purple and blue, all of the colors of the sky. You glanced behind you, inexplicably drawn to the dreary landscape.

You stepped through the portal.


	3. goldenrod

A clear night sky full of stars greeted you.

The cold receded. You worked some feeling back into your fingers before studying your surroundings.

The alley you were in was dark and empty. Streetlights cast heavy shadows across the ground. You exited, and stumbled upon a bustling town square. Despite the melting snow still clinging to your clothes, you didn’t stand out very much. You made your way through the crowd—

“Hey! Watch where you’re going, kupo!”

Startled, you looked down at the source of the voice, noticing a creature you didn’t recognize.

“What? Never seen a Moogle before?”

You opened your mouth to defend yourself (you _had_ , hadn’t you?) but thought better of it. You apologized and asked about the area.

The Moogle crossed its arms and nodded. “So you’re new around here! Visitors aren’t as common nowadays. Follow me.”

You were led away into what the sign indicated was a Synthesis Shop. Once settled in, the Moogle told you about Traverse Town, and how people who’d lost their worlds turned up here.

“It’s not happening as much as it used to though, kupo. Where are you from?”

Your jaw hung open at the question. For some inexplicable reason, you could not remember.

You suddenly felt very ill.

“Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

You thanked the Moogle for its concern and excused yourself, all but running out of the shop. The evening air did nothing to settle your nerves, and you broke into a sprint, searching for a more secluded area.

Eventually you found yourself in District Two, the shops all closed and locked up for the night. You took a seat at a nearby bench, hands fisted and goosebumps erupting across your skin. You couldn’t remember much of anything, aside from the mechanics of the Keyblade and that the Heartless were your enemy.

You curled in on yourself and focused on breathing. _What were you supposed to do?_

There was a nudge against your leg. Surprised, you lifted your head out of your hands, spotting the fuzzy little critter that had interrupted your train of thought.

A puppy, speckled black and white, with big paws and floppy ears and an eagerly wagging tail. Smitten, you reached out to pet it—it was criminally soft. It enjoyed your nails scratching under its ear for a moment longer before it pranced back, giving you a delighted bark before scampering off down the street.

You rose to your feet and followed it.

The word _Dalmatian_ sprang to your mind as you went, deeper into the district, absent of noise aside from your footsteps and the pants of the dog.

_Swish, swish_.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end as you spun around, noticing too-thick shadows leaking across the pavement, gurgling as they took form. Starlight already in your hand, you leapt forward to attack.

The first few went down easily enough, torn to mist by three strong swings from your Keyblade. At that point you found yourself surrounded, some ducking low, others leaping high. You rolled out of the way of most of them, little claws slicing harmlessly at the air behind you. You feinted directly into the hoard before diving right, cleaving through another two.

Something hot and cold ripped into your calf and you winced, spinning the Keyblade into a backhanded position and blocking the second attack from behind. You bobbed underneath another lunging Heartless and struck heavenward, catching it in the side before it could land.

Still more continued to manifest, but you found yourself holding up surprisingly well; your stamina didn’t fail you, even when the air grew spines as it whistled down your throat. Once you'd vanquished all of them, you turned back around, only to find the puppy was gone.

You ran yourself ragged trying to track down the Dalmatian, giving up after your fourth lap around town. In District Three, you found a small, vacant house to rest in. As you collapsed on the bed, kicking up heaps of dust, you let your mind wander.

Traverse Town managed to feel busy, yet empty at the same time. The first District was abuzz with shoppers and a crowded seating area, folk of all walks of life gathered together in one small space.

The second and third Districts were practically the opposite, closed shops and boarded up houses lining the lamplit streets. You got the feeling many more people used to live here.

Your hands and feet ached. You hadn’t properly warmed up after arriving, so shivers continued to wrack your frame. You sniffled thoughtfully.

A nap wouldn’t hurt.

You nudged off your shoes and burrowed underneath the covers, the scent of dust, cotton, and old floral perfume engulfing you.


	4. delphinium

_Hot_.

You slipped on the sand beneath you, and got a face full of sun-kissed desert dune. Struggling up onto your elbows, you squinted against the harsh light. The skies were impeccably blue, stretching on for forever—the horizon marred only by the shimmering peaks of sand. Another wasteland.

And more Heartless.

Scrambling to your feet, you called Starlight to your hand, sinking into a battle position. You had to adjust your footing several times, in danger of sliding and all but walking into the enemies’ blades. Luckily they were just as hindered as you, and you emerged victorious. Not without some scrapes and singes, but that could be attended to later. You needed to find some shade before you melted.

Sixth dune, thirteenth. Twenty, twenty-ninth, thirty.

A whopping thirty-two dunes later, you collapsed at the gates of the first civilization you’d seen since starting off.

Perhaps leaving Traverse Town hadn’t been a good idea. 

* * *

You woke up drowning.

Sputtering, hacking, you bolted upright, head light and everything shiny. There was a rough hand on your shoulder, a man with a large white headpiece. You blinked slowly, realizing you were being spoken to.

“—oo fast, take it slow. Drink.” A cloudy glass bottle was shoved under your nose. You took it in shaky hands, overturning it and drinking the contents greedily. The water was a few degrees below boiling, but it would have to do. “There, that’s better. Now, who are you? I’ve never seen you on the streets before.”

You tried to clear your throat, but ended up with a coughing fit instead.

A sigh. “Never mind. Stay in the shade for a while, the sun’ll be going down soon.”

You nodded, wiping off your chin with a hand. It felt scratchy—no doubt you were covered head to toe in sweat and sand. At least the Heartless didn’t leave anything behind when they were destroyed, so there weren’t any suspicious stains to explain away.

After a few minutes of relaxing—the man that had helped you had long since left you alone—you rose to your feet. It seemed you’d been dragged into an alley, away from the intense sunlight. Still, it was unbearably hot, and despite downing the entire bottle you’d been given you were thirsty again. This was why you’d always dreaded visiting Agrabah.

Wait.

Had the man mentioned that name? Perhaps he had, and you’d been too disoriented to realize. Your head throbbed—dehydration no doubt. Time to find more water.

You approached the entrance of the alley, peeking out at what appeared to be a marketplace. Merchants trekked through the sand, peddling their wares. Passersby wandered the area, baskets hanging heavy from their arms. Even in this heat, the atmosphere was lively, pleasant.

 _Swish swish_.

You spun around, disorienting yourself with how fast everything moved but you caught a glimpse of dark.

You started off, calling Starlight to your hand. The hilt was surprisingly cool against your skin.

The alleys twisted and turned, shade and sun, clothes hung out to dry batting at your eyes. You were following it mostly on sound, guessing at the forks, growing hopelessly lost as you went. Finally, you emerged back out into the open.

In front of gigantic, intricately detailed gates. Beyond it was a massive building, white stone with a glittering domed roof. Several men wearing white headpieces stood guard out front, curved blades drawn as they faced down the Heartless you’d been tailing. Wordlessly, you dove into the fray, slicing at it from behind. It dissipated with nary a sound.

Only to be replaced by several larger ones, willing themselves into reality in a circle around you.

You hefted Starlight. 

* * *

Hot, thirsty, and nursing a pounding headache, you cut through the last Heartless. Instantly your knees buckled, your Keyblade dissolving as you slumped over. The men all rushed over, asking questions you couldn’t begin to answer, setting a hand against your forehead before hoisting you up and walking.

You closed your eyes and tried to ignore the sweaty shoulder your cheek was propped up against.

When you were finally able to focus again, you were indoors, the room still warm and stuffy but significantly cooler than outside. You were leaned against the wall, a wet cloth pressed to your face. You frowned and turned away, blearily opening you eyes to see the men from before.

They expressed gratitude for you protecting the palace gates, despite being a stranger. You tried to protest—you really hadn’t done anything to be proud of, but they insisted, ushering you into a small side room with a rag and a bucket of water.

You cleaned yourself up the best you could—the sand really _did_ get everywhere—before there was a knock at the door.

It was one of the guards, bemoaning the current state of the city, the creatures that tried again and again to breach the gates. He spoke of them gathering at the oasis across the desert, trailing off when he noticed your attention had been caught.

You didn’t need any more prompting than that. You agreed to take care of the Heartless, and he sighed a breath of relief.

It meant journeying back out into the desert, which was the last thing you wanted to do, but it didn’t seem like anyone else was capable of defeating the Heartless. You listened to the guards’ explanation with a look of chagrin.

You could hear the others outside the room, too, whispering.

“—really alright? They’re just a child,”

“Do we have any other choice? We can’t leave the palace unguarded, not while the prince and princess are—”

“So young, and such a fierce warrior!”

Was it really that odd? A kid with a Keyblade didn’t feel out of the ordinary to you.

After you’d been given a jug of water and directions to the oasis, you left the guardhouse, back out under the beating sun. It was approaching late afternoon, the city ablaze in shades of gold. The scenery was enough to cheer you up a little; you were going to help protect this place. The thought put a spring in your step, and you set off.

* * *

The moon was high in the sky, dyeing the desert the color of the sea, the dunes shifting, surging like great waves. There was a bite to the air now, a chill that seeped into your skin. Tired but not deterred, you finally stumbled into the oasis.

And very nearly straight into the back of a Heartless. Starlight appeared in your hand with a burst of light, and the battle began.

Fighting in the dark was difficult—the Heartless easily blended in with the shadows, wavering before your eyes until you couldn’t make out their size or shape. You were fighting defensively, sweeping your Keyblade around you in wide strokes, tearing through anything that got too close. The skin on the back of your neck prickled and blistered when a gout of flame slammed into you. You careened backwards, slipping as you struggled to your feet.

This one was large, massive belly acting as natural armor, mouth brimming with orange fire.

The game had changed—you were on the run now.

Burst after burst of fireballs tailed you as you danced through the sand, trying to avoid the claws of the Heartless who waited to catch you unaware. Even in the cool of night, you were dripping with sweat, muscles burning from exertion. You couldn’t get close like this. What could you do? You wracked your brain for a solution—

The ground began to shake, and you lost your balance, all but torpedoing straight into a dune. As you struggled to resurface, you caught some bizarre sounds—someone else was fighting, someone with a booming voice and power aplenty.

You popped out of the sand like a daisy from the dirt just in time to witness a bright blue form point a finger at the Fat Bandit and eradicate it from existence.

Your jaw hung open in shock.

The blue thing turned with a wide sweep of its arms. “Next time, try putting up a fight!” It declared in a masculine voice, drawing itself into a theatrical bow.

And then it saw you.

With a squeak you scrambled up onto your feet and turned tail to run—

“Hold on there, fella! Don’t I know you from somewhere?” It appeared right in front of you, and you fell backward, tumbling back down the dune. Before you could orient yourself, you were being lifted into the air. “Let’s dust you off a bit.” A blast of air appeared out of nowhere, and the sand was gone. “Hm… Have we met?”

You shook your head furiously, mute from terror.

It— _he_ —considered you for a moment longer, eyebrow raised comically high. His gaze drifted to Starlight. “Oh! You’re one of _those_!”

One of _what_? You asked as much, and were promptly dropped to the ground.

As you rubbed your sore bum, Mister Blue began to elaborate. “A visitor from another world, of course! Where else could you have gotten that Keyblade?” He paused mid-speech, eyes widening. “Where are my manners! I haven’t introduced myself! The name’s Genie, at your service. _Not_! I’m a free man now!” Bursts of confetti shot out of his hands as he launched himself into the air, a disembodied applause erupting around the two of you. “ _Ex_ -Genie of the lamp, now just Genie the _champ_. And if I may, who are you?”

You told him you had no idea.

“Hm. That’s quite a predicament.” He landed next to you, a chaise appearing out of nowhere as he settled on it, now wearing a robe and glasses. “Tell me how this makes you feel.”

Things were happening a little too quickly for you to keep up, but you decided to roll with it. You told Genie about how you’d woken up with no memory, besides how to fight with a Keyblade.

He made a _tsk_ noise and wagged a finger in your face. “Not what I asked. How do you _feel_?”

Well. You pondered it for a moment.

Confused. Frustrated. Scared.

A little lonely.

“Worry not, kid!” He exclaimed abruptly, chaise gone and robe popping out of existence. “I’ll be your friend! You’re alone no longer!”

While his bombastic personality made him seem a little insincere, you were genuinely touched by his consideration. You thanked him and extended your hand for a good shake.

Instead he roped you into a hug. “No need for formalities among friends, right? I’m sure you’ll get your memory back!” He drew away from you, giving you another once-over. “As sure as I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere out in the cosmos before. Maybe the others will have an idea?”

Others?

“I have a few friends with the matching set!” Genie pointed at Starlight.

Finding another Keyblade wielder definitely seemed like a good idea. You thanked him again, and again he swooped you into a crushing embrace.

It was weird, hitting it off so quickly with a complete stranger, but… Perhaps he was right. The way Genie moved and spoke was nostalgic, but you couldn’t quite place it.

After you were released and able to breathe, Genie snapped his fingers. Your clothes were suddenly spotless, your skin no longer sweaty, and you didn’t reek like the inside of an old boot. Sheepishly, you told him that you should probably leave.

For the first time since you’d met him, his expression became serious. “Look, kid, you seem like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, so try not to lose it.” His head rolled off and into his hand as he spoke, as if to emphasize his point. “Don’t get uh, in over your head, if you know what I mean.”

You promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhheeeeeeeyyyyyyy it's been a while. im sorry i haven't been around, i really struggled with this chapter for some reason. i'll try to pick up the pace, but as previously stated, chapters are going to be posted at my convenience; this project is for a fun, after all.
> 
> that being said. if you haven't heard of it, i recommend checking out everglow's kingdom hearts timeline. it's going to include every entry in the series in (mostly) chronological order, including union cross! and why else am i here, besides cute little kids romping through disney worlds and fighting to the death in a keyblade war? :')
> 
> search "kingdom hearts timeline everglow" on youtube or something and have a good time until i post again kids


	5. rhododendron

If you were being honest, you had no idea how the portals worked. They had a name—“Lanes Between,” or something like that—but the extent of your knowledge was pointing at an open space with your Keyblade and stepping through.

It figured that your inexperience would finally catch up with you in the worst way possible.

You’d passed through the portal, expecting something solid under your foot, and then you were falling straight through a cloud. The damp clung to your face and the static had all the hairs on your neck standing on end—there was a moment of blind panic as you plummeted, surrounded by gray and unable to catch your breath—before you were through, the sky opening up around you.

Far below, you saw rolling hills, lush grass and large white buildings.

It’d be a shame that you’d get splattered all over such pretty scenery.

Your heart kicked into overdrive, and you finally started to scream—

Only to get tackled by a flash of white. You grasped at whatever it was, finding short, coarse hair under your fingers, strong muscle and sinew, the smell of an animal.

After orienting yourself, you realized you were on a horse. A winged horse, with a cropped blue mane and a bewildered look.

These were called Pegasi, right? You held onto it a little too tightly to be comfortable as it swooped down to the ground, landing in front of large gates and a staircase that trailed up the cloud-covered mountain. You dismounted and immediately fell over, legs like jelly. The Pegasus gave you a curious sniff before shaking its head and soaring into the sky once more.

You laid there for a bit, trying to catch your breath. That had been far too close for comfort.

After a while, you were able to stand. You investigated the gates—gigantic, golden and emblazoned with lightning bolts. Something important was probably at the top of the mountain.

You turned away, ready to find a place to sleep for the night.

_Swish swish_.

Oh, great. You made out two beady yellow eyes under the shadow of a tree. You stepped toward it, steeling yourself for another fight, when it turned around and started to scamper away.

You followed after it.

* * *

 

This one was fast.

You were practically sprinting to keep up, only barely able to discern its body against the scenery. You ran through fragrant clearings, under olive trees and past intricate fountains before finally coming to a cave.

There was a swirling, dark corridor. The Heartless had likely gone through it. Mouth pinched into a thin line, you entered.

Inside was pitch black. You groped blindly with your hands, trying to find something to steady yourself with no luck. After a minute or so of tip-toeing forward, you nearly toppled over, abruptly at the top of a staircase.

The area was still cave-like, dark stone surrounding you, but the stairs were manmade, cut cleanly into the rock. As you began to descend, a wicked stench slammed into you.

_Dark_.

The dark _stunk_ —a pungent odor, reminiscent of rotten fruit, sickly-sweet. You covered your nose with a hand, suddenly nauseous.

You were familiar with this smell.

Much more cautious now, you continued down, eventually reaching a new area. The ceiling was high above you now, and directly ahead was what appeared to be an ocean. You ran over to the edge and bent down.

It wasn’t water, you knew that for sure—there were ghostly-white figures, swimming over each other, faces long and drawn in anguish. You recoiled, disturbed.

And bumped into something. You turned around.

“I don’t remember inviting guests.” The tall figure leaned down—a man dressed in black robes, face gray and—his head was on fire. “You! What do you think you’re doing down here?”

 “ _But in the end...what you do is up to you. I’m here to watch over you. That’s all._ ”

You flinched at the bolt of pain that lanced through your skull. Whose voice was that?

Your lack of response seemed to irk the man. “Know what? I don’t care.” He snapped his fingers. A tremor rocked the ground. You scrambled backwards, head whipping wildly around the room.

_Thud… Thud… Thud…_

A gargantuan, three-headed dog skidded to a halt before you, slobber dripping from its chops. Your blood ran cold.

“Cerberus! It’s dinnertime!” You had a feeling _you_ were the dinner. “Bon appétit!”

A massive clawed paw three times your size lifted into the air, aiming directly for your head.

How did you end up in this situation?

You threw yourself to the side, rolling out of the way of a blow that probably would’ve knocked you senseless. Starlight sprang to life in your hand, the warmth and light settling your nerves a little.

From behind you heard a hiss. “ _Another?!_ ”

You had to ignore it, steeling yourself in preparation for the next attack. One of the heads snapped down towards you, teeth clamping around nothing—you’d launched yourself into the air with no time to spare, landing a safe distance away. You lunged forward with Starlight.

Cerberus yelped, apparently surprised that its food intended to fight back. You took the moment of surprise to make a downward slash on its leg.

It might as well have been made of steel, for all the damage you were doing. The other two heads reared back, and you decided that your best bet was to _run_. You turned around and did just that.

“Oh, for the love of—Cerberus, _fetch!_ ”

Of course, outrunning a dog the size of a house was easier said than done. It’d catch up to you quick unless you did something. What options did you have, though? Could you try hiding somewhere? Maybe find a path small enough that it couldn’t fit through?

You could feel its hot breath on your neck. You looked back, saw a great fanged maw engulfing your vision—

“That’s enough!”

A powerful force slammed into Cerberus, sending him flying into the wall. The ground shook as loose rock fell from the ceiling. In front of you stood a man, biceps larger than you were wide. He turned towards you.

“Are you alright?” You nodded, awestruck. He smiled. “Good. See that staircase?” He pointed—you looked over to see where you’d come from. “Start running!”

You didn’t need any more prompting than that. You broke into a sprint, hoping your legs wouldn’t give out on you.

There were sounds of battle behind you, along with a venomous “always have to be the _hero_ , don’t you, Wonderboy?” You reached the stairs just in time for something scathingly hot to wrap around your wrist—

“ _Ow!_ ”

The gray-faced man recoiled away from you, clutching his hand. You looked down, saw the bracelet you were wearing was glowing. His expression was murderous.

You launched yourself at the stairs, practically on all fours as you desperately climbed.

You reached the top, and you fell to the ground, chest heaving. The ground was cool against your pounding head.

A moment later, you heard the grass crunch beside you. “Hey there.” A large hand appeared before you. You blinked up at your savior. “My name’s Hercules.” You took the offered hand, and he helped you to your feet—only for you to nearly fall over again. Hercules barely managed to catch you in time. Black dots flashed in and out of your vision. “Excuse me? Are you—”

You passed out.

* * *

_It was dark. The air around you felt heavy, pressing in on you. You were winded, but unharmed—uncertain, but determined. You looked up at the dark ceiling of the Underworld, considering._

_A puff of smoke announced their arrival. You looked down, but whatever was in front of you was distorted—as if someone had taken an eraser to the image. “So you’re really going…”_

_You were being watched—you could feel his gaze burning into your back. If you were going to find what you were looking for, you had to play along, at least for a little bit._

_The guilt roiled in your stomach as you stared at the ground._

_“Remember where you are: the Underworld.” A sigh. “Wielding darkness may be the shortcut to power, but you might not be able to turn back once you head down that road…”_

_Your throat was tight, but you said nothing._

_"But in the end…what you do is up to you. I’m here to watch over you. That’s all.”_

_Your hand flew up and reached forward, unbidden. But they were already gone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well. we're five chapters in now, so i suppose i should start explaining things
> 
> one, this fic takes place near the end of DDD and a little into the 2.8 secret ending, just so you have a general idea of what's going on. two, the cave entrance to the underworld is inspired by the tale of orpheus. having the entrance be right outside of the olympus coliseum wouldn't make a whole lot of sense in this context. three, i relied heavily on the script from union cross for this chapter, so if some of it sounds familiar, that's why. more dialogue will pop up here and there, mostly in flashbacks, but i'll try and keep things new and fresh for the most part
> 
> i actually really enjoyed the underworld storyline from union cross; im sad they didn't explore it more, especially since hades is one of my favorite villains. all of his dialogue is so craftily written! (hence why i relied on the game's script - i don't think i could do him justice)
> 
> also i love chirithy. that is all


End file.
